Georgics (Clarendon Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Virgil (Author), the late R. A. B. Mynors (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Clarendon Paperbacks | Publication Date: June 2, 1994

Virgil's Georgics, considered to be one of the great poems of Western literature, is ostensibly a didactic poem on agriculture. Challenging this idea, the late Sir Roger Mynors argues that the poem's true subject is humanity and its place in nature and society. The poem is also a landmark in the use of the natural world as material for literature and of special interest because the poet draws not only on his own experience but also on his wide reading of Greek poetry. This commentary examines Virgil's meaning and choice of expression to provide a fuller understanding of the poetry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Will be an important reference for this complex poem....The commentary itself is invaluable."--The Classical Outlook

"I can only note how fortunate we are to have this commentary at last. It will obviously be indispensable to everyone seriously interested in the Georgics."--Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Mynors' knowledge of the textual tradition and the ancient and modern commentators on the poem is encyclopedic, and his exhaustive research on both the literary antecedents and the technical literature that Vergil used and the linguistic parallels in the contemporary and subsequent authors is marshalled for the task of exegesis with taste and precision. The explication of the poem in light of the natural history of the Mediterranean world is particularly rich. Mynors' formidable scholarship is never heavy-handed, and in it lurks a certain puckish wit....Every library and every Latin scholar should own this book."--The Classical World

"Mynors' enviable knowledge of ancient technology and everyday life--not to mention his familiarity with the scientific, literary, and philological writings that inform or were informed by the poem--make this commentary an indispensable companion piece to Thomas' edition. Anyone who does serious work on the Georgics will have to have access to Mynors' exacting commentary; anyone who cherishes a warm affection for Vergil's exquisite portrait of the Italian countryside will want to."--Vergilius

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 2, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198149786
• ISBN-13: 978-0198149781
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,109,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Not Virgil's Best", September 4, 2002

By 

Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Georgics (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

The warm and friendly poet from Mantua, Publius Virgilius Maro, in his didactic poem entitled the "Georgics," covers topics relating to farming: in book one he deals with crops, in book two trees and shrubs, in book three livestock, and in book four bees. While several scholars have regarded this work as one of the best Latin poems ever, it must be taken into account that it is, nevertheless, far less entertaining than his famous "Aenied," and much more difficult to read. At times, in the "Georgics," Virgil echoes with that same brilliance many people have come to love in the "Aenied." But for the most part, this poem may be rigorous for anyone not serious about Roman poetry, so it is not recommended for everyone. In context of Virgil's time, this poem easily gets five stars, but the many archaisms found in it tend to alienate modern readers, and so, with much hesitation, the poem receives only three.

7 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cool, February 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Georgics (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

this book was really informative